Quantitative Aptitude (QA) is one of the most important and easily scoring segments of the Common Admission Test (CAT). Based on the data analyzed from 330 questions in 2021 to 2025 (as well as some data from the past beginning with 2020), it is clear that the Official CAT questions share predictable patterns both in terms of subjects’ distribution and question formats.
In order to succeed in this section, it is essential to have a data-centric preparation plan, especially with the changing nature of the exam over the last few years, which has made it equally challenging for candidates. By studying previous years’ CAT papers and noting the trends, candidates are able to locate the critical sections that are common and repetitive in the exam. Instead of putting in efforts to cover the advanced level of every topic, one should wisely decide which topics are more prevalent and have a strong bearing in the exam.
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CAT 2026: Quantitative Aptitude Last Year Topic-Wise Breakdown
The table presents the number of questions derived from different mathematical subjects in the three phases of the exams. Each phase had precisely a total of 22 questions. Common tasks such as profit and loss, time and work equations, geometry, etc., were included in every phase. In contrast, tough topics like contemporary probability were hardly present.
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|
Topics
|
Slot 1
|
Slot 2
|
Slot 3
|
|
Averages, Ratios, and Proportion
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Mixtures & Alligation
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Profit, Loss, and Interest
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
TSD & Time and Work
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
Functions and Graphs
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
Inequalities and Linear Equations
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
|
Quadratic Equations
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
|
Progressions and Series
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
|
Logarithms, Surds and Indices
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Number System
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Geometry
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
Venn Diagram
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
PnC and Probability
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total Questions
|
22
|
22
|
22
|
CAT 2026: Previous Year Quant Topic-Wise Weightage
The following table represents the total count of questions from all slots for last five years. Out of the total number, the highest number of questions were from Arithmetic which had 135 questions, closely followed by Algebra with 98 questions. These two subjects together form more than 70% of the entire section. The other sections like Modern Math had very few questions.
|
Topic
|
Percentage
|
Number of Questions (2021–2025)
|
|
Arithmetic
|
40.9%
|
135
|
|
Algebra
|
29.7%
|
98
|
|
Geometry
|
13.6%
|
45
|
|
Number Systems
|
12.4%
|
41
|
|
Modern Mathematics
|
3.3%
|
11
|
|
Total
|
100%
|
330
|
MCQs vs. TITA Questions (2020–2025)
The table illustrates the nature of the questions across the examination period of six years. The exam has been designed in a fixed pattern of 14 questions based on multiple choice and 8 questions requiring the answer in typed or written format. There is no negative marking for the 8 written questions because even if students write wrong answers, they cannot lose any points. More than one-third of the entire math papers do not have the elements of negative marking.
|
Exam Year
|
Total QA Questions
|
Multiple Choice (MCQ)
|
Type In The Answer (TITA)
|
TITA Share (%)
|
|
2025
|
22
|
14
|
8
|
36.36%
|
|
2024
|
22
|
14
|
8
|
36.36%
|
|
2023
|
22
|
14
|
8
|
36.36%
|
|
2022
|
22
|
14
|
8
|
36.36%
|
|
2021
|
22
|
14
|
8
|
36.36%
|
|
2020
|
26
|
18
|
8
|
30.77%
|
CAT 2026: 5-Year Subtopic Question 2021–2025)
The table presents questions related to each topic of math for the entire five year period. The subjects like speed and distance, linear equations, work and profit-loss appear every year consistently. Questions related to geometry majorly cover triangle and circle. The questions in number puzzles always involve finding factors or remainders. The students who cover the chapters mentioned before will get to deal with the maximum number of questions.
|
CAT Quant Topic
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
5-Yr Total
|
|
Arithmetic Total
|
30
|
27
|
26
|
25
|
27
|
135
|
|
Time, Speed & Distance
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
24
|
|
Profit, Loss & Interest
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
23
|
|
Time & Work
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
22
|
|
Ratio & Proportion
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
21
|
|
Averages
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
16
|
|
Percentages
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
15
|
|
Mixtures & Alligation
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
14
|
|
Algebra Total
|
15
|
18
|
23
|
22
|
20
|
98
|
|
Linear Equations & Inequalities
|
5
|
5
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
28
|
|
Progressions & Series (AP/GP)
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
20
|
|
Quadratic & Polynomial Equations
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
18
|
|
Logarithms, Surds & Indices
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
3
|
18
|
|
Functions & Graphs
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
14
|
|
Geometry & Mensuration Total
|
9
|
10
|
9
|
8
|
9
|
45
|
|
Triangles
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
14
|
|
Circles
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
10
|
|
Mensuration (2D/3D)
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
|
Quadrilaterals & Polygons
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
7
|
|
Coordinate Geometry
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
|
Number Systems Total
|
9
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
41
|
|
Divisibility, Factors & Multiples
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
15
|
|
Remainders
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
10
|
|
Digits & Factorials
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
10
|
|
HCF & LCM
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
|
Modern Mathematics Total
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
11
|
|
Permutations & Combinations
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
|
Set Theory & Venn Diagrams
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
|
Probability
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
|
Total Questions Across 3 Shifts
|
66
|
66
|
66
|
66
|
66
|
330
|
There have been certain patterns in the structure and topics of the Quantitative Aptitude section of the CAT in the last five years. The non-negative TITA questions constitute a consistent 36.36% of the paper, which translates into 14 multiple-choice questions and 8 TITA questions in each paper.
It is quite clear that the concepts of Arithmetic account for a major part of Quantitative Aptitude, as the concepts of Time, Speed & Distance, Profit, Loss & Interest, Time & Work, and Ratio & Proportion are the main contributors to the overall score comprising 90 questions out of 330. In Algebra, the prominent concepts that make up most of the questions cannot be overlooked; they are Linear Equations and Inequalities (counting up to 28 questions), and Progressions and Quadratics. The concept with the most amount of questions being asked in Geometry is Triangles and Circles, which alone forms more than 53% of the total number of geometry questions.
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